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Flappy Gilmore

Credit: Deptford Township Police Department

‘Flappy Gilmore’ flies free after peacock police pursuit

Deptford police officers learned an important fact about peacocks recently.

Toniann Antonelli

Mar 20, 2026, 5:47 AM

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What started as an unusual call for Deptford police quickly turned into a feathered fiasco Thursday as officers tried — and failed — to wrangle a loose peacock in someone's backyard.

Arriving officers, having little experience with fowl fugitives, immediately decided to come up with a strategy to safely catch the bird — which they later named “Flappy Gilmore.”

“What was the game plan, you ask? We just chased the thing around the yard hoping he’d tire out. He didn’t. We did,” Deptford police wrote on Facebook.

Deptford police say they also learned quite a bit about Pavo cristatus, the scientific name for a peacock. In addition to learning that the giant birds are faster than they look, officers also found out that peacocks do not always stay grounded.

“Guess what else. Peacocks can fly! Did you know that? Yeah, we didn’t,” police wrote on social media.

Despite the officers’ best efforts, the colorful escape artist ultimately slipped away — but not before pausing for a quick photo op with police. By the end of the call, the score was Flappy: 1, Deptford police: 0.

Deptford peacock full.jpg

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